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Hiring increased for the tenth consecutive year in 2019

March 23, 2020

There were 69.9 million nonfarm hires in 2019, an increase of 1.3 million from 2018 and the tenth consecutive annual increase. Quits also rose for the tenth year in a row, reaching 42.1 million in 2019, up by 1.8 million. Layoffs and discharges edged down by 64,000 in 2019 to 21.7 million.

Annual nonfarm hires, quits, and layoffs and discharges, 2009–19
Year Hires Layoffs and discharges Quits

2009

46,750,000 27,434,000 20,901,000

2010

49,655,000 22,562,000 22,261,000

2011

51,655,000 22,134,000 23,667,000

2012

53,343,000 22,023,000 25,007,000

2013

54,947,000 20,959,000 27,451,000

2014

58,950,000 21,139,000 30,420,000

2015

62,589,000 21,779,000 33,659,000

2016

63,731,000 21,239,000 35,882,000

2017

65,638,000 21,608,000 37,708,000

2018

68,594,000 21,803,000 40,331,000

2019

69,943,000 21,739,000 42,113,000

From 2009 to 2019, hiring levels have increased steadily, from 46.8 million in 2009 to 69.9 million in 2019. Quit levels showed the same pattern, increasing from a low of 20.9 million in 2009 to 42.1 million in 2019.  Layoffs and discharges were at their highest level (27.4 million) in 2009 and were lowest in 2013 at 21.0 million.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are not seasonally adjusted. See "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — January 2020" to learn more. Also see data on job openings, hires, and employment separations in the Charts related to the latest "Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey" news release.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Hiring increased for the tenth consecutive year in 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/hiring-increased-for-the-tenth-consecutive-year-in-2019.htm (visited December 09, 2024).

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